Threads
by MiniMorr
Summary: First part of "Threads" - First Kiss. CrawfordxRan. Set after the ending of the show and ignoring the OVA:s/Glühen.


**FIRST KISS**

**BY:** MiniMorr

**PAIRING:** Crawford x Ran

**RATING/WARNING:** Nothing heavy. Just short and sweet... Somewhat OOC, but I'll blame that on the fact that they're drunk... ;)

**DISCLAIMER:** Not mine, won't ever be mine (and I'll always mourn that fact...) and please don't sue, I mean no harm and I'm pretty broke... (one too many books, I guess...)

**ADD. NOTES:** Ummmm... Really going into **CxR-mood** here... Don't ask me why... This one is also set in the same universe as _'Odds and Ends' with Yohji and Schuldig. Just a little about how Crawford and Ran got together... :) I don't think I've read a romantic CxR-story in quite a while and I took it as an excuse to produce this... ;) They're always complete bastards (at least Crawford) and to try and bring them together in a fic where they _aren't_... You can guess the rest... ;)_

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    Ran exited the restaurant a step ahead of his date, turning his head towards the sky to catch the first drops of the warm summer rain. Behind him, he heard the other man mutter something but he didn't turn around to face him. He wasn't sure about what to do now – one side of him was terrified with what would happen as they walked back home, the other wanted to drag this evening out forever.

    "One might think that I should have had a warning about the rain..." Stepping up beside him, Crawford muttered something else in English that Ran didn't understand before turning to his companion. The younger assassin just 'hned', but the American managed to catch the small smile as the redhead turned away, his face towards the street.

    "One might think so, yes." Amusement was clear in his voice as he turned to his former enemy, watching as the golden eyes widened at his statement. Neither of them would win any award for their sense of humor, but they understood each other quite well and during the short time they had spent together as something else than enemies they had come to pick up on all the nuances that made up the other – and to appreciate them. To Ran, Crawford conveyed a sense of safety that he first didn't know he had missed and to Crawford, the younger man somehow seemed delicate and lost – even if he knew that _that_ wasn't the case. Nevertheless, they had been drawn to each other and since both Schuldig and Yohji had quite clearly shown where their preferences laid – in each other – they had seen nothing wrong in their friendship. A friendship that was now turning into something else... They had both felt it, the tension and the warmth that lurked underneath the surface of their conversation this night had been unlike anything they had experienced before and neither of them were really sure about how to proceed from here. For all his precognition, Crawford was given no clue what to say, or to do, and that had him slightly unnerved. He was so used to rely on his powers that this was threatening to throw him off the track – and the way Ran was acting did nothing to help. He could have sworn that the younger man took delight in teasing him with glimpses of pale skin all throughout dinner as he had reached for one dish or another and the older man had found himself reacting more than he had thought was possible. The result was that he was now both unnverved and aroused – not to mention confused as all hell. He had never reacted to someone like this before – not even during those years with Schuldig – but on the other hand, he had never been with someone like Ran before either...

    "Where do you want to go now?" They left the fancy restaurant behind as they began walking down the street, Crawford turning to him and asked a question he held no answer for.

    "I don't know. Kudoh and Schuldig are probably heading out somewhere, so..." He broke off that train of thought before he said something he would regret – he blamed it on the expensive wine the American had ordered and made sure he'd had his filled share of during dinner – and continued straight ahead. There was a park not far from here and it would probably be mostly empty at this hour as it was late and it was only the occassional worker on their way home around. To Ran, it was perfect – he hated crowds with a passion – and Crawford wasn't going to complain over the matter. The fewer people there were, the better. The redhead might be an assassin with hundreds of kills on his conscience, but he was still a shy young man out on his first real date – with another man.

    "Yes... They're probably going to do their best to bring down whatever club they're heading to tonight..." Amusement flashed in the redhead's eyes as he imagined their former teammates doing their best to cause havoc all over the place. It had turned out that the two of them had known each other for far longer than any of their teammates had suspected – but no one was going to hold that against them now, when they were all free to go where they pleased. As soon as Estet was gone, Schuldig had come around to pick Kudoh up. Who wasn't _just_ the ladies man, as it had turned out. They had all got quite a shock over that, but once they had calmed down a bit they had adjusted fine to the situation. Not the mention finding the German at the table almost every morning either shoving his tongue down Yohji's throat or teasing the others had taken its time to get used to – Ran had had quite a few discussions with the former playboy on the matter before things had settled – but after the first month or so no one was complaining. And then, Crawford had begun coming around... Ran had been annoyed at first, but when he got the impression that the American was more than he had been led to believe, he had let down his guard enough to engage the other in one discussion or another. Neither of them ever mentioned politics though. Soon, they had become... friends... and spent more and more time together. Neither of them took the teasing from their former teammates well but they were used to it by now. Aya-chan had encouraged their friendship so far – saying that it was good for her brother to find someone with 'his feet on the ground'. At that point Ran had blushed as red as his hair since it had turned out that he had been quite the dreamer as a boy – and with a small light in her eyes that told them that she knew perfectly well what was going on. Needless to say, Ran had been more mortified than when any of the others had dropped their thinly veiled innuendos and had almost considered to stop seeing his friend for a while, but his sister was having none of it. She was going to make sure that her niisan was as happy as he could be, and if it was with some gaijin from as far away as the States, then it was how it was going to be.

    Crawford stopped, bringing Ran back from his short trip on Memory Lane as he turned to his younger companion. They were standing under a Sakura tree in full bloom, the pink petals drenched from the rain and falling to the ground around them. To Ran, this was suddenly more than he could handle – it was as if the atmosphere around them was whirling with emotions and the tension grew with every moment. Standing there, under the Sakura tree with the rain drizzling down so warm and full of life, it was the perfect setting for a first kiss and he blushed at the thought. Banning such ideas from his head he decided that it was the wine – nothing else – and turned his head upwards again, watching the falling petals.

    "It's beautiful, isn't it?" The American stepped up beside him, the proximity between them made Ran shudder as the warmth of the older man reached him. He didn't understand what someone as Crawford could see in someone as Ran himself but for once he wasn't going to complain. He wasn't sure he trusted the other just yet, but since it's been almost half a year since their last battle and there had been plenty of opportunity for Schwarz to turn on them, he guessed that they had earned a little of the respect and trust they got. He was the last one to cave in and let their former enemies close – but he also had the most to lose; Aya-chan for starters. But Crawford had been persistent and methodical as he pursued the younger man's friendship and trust.

    "Yes, it is..." Ran replied absently, suddenly fighting the blush that threatened to rise on his pale skin again as he stared down on the ground. He could feel the older man smile above him and for the first time that evening he wasn't 'Aya' anymore – the part of him that had been 'Ran' during his teens had awakened again and was demanding attention. He didn't know which one he was – both or none – but 'Ran', whom he had buried for so long, was slowly taking charge again. He could never be the shy, innocent boy again – the one that his sister still believed he was – but he could mend the rift between his personalities somewhat by allowing them both to step forward. All of this flittered through his head the time it took him to raise his head to meet the other's knowing gaze. The golden eyes held a glimmer of amusement again, as if he knew something Ran didn't – which probably was the occassion – and this time he couldn't stop the blush from spreading as the warmth surged inside him as he continued meeting the other's eyes and forcing himself not to fidget.

    "Aa..." The noncommital sound brought another blush and he silently cursed his fair complexion for giving everything away so easily. It did him no good to try and summon 'Aya' back either – that part of him seemed to have gone to sleep for the night and leaving the clumsy Ran in charge instead. Somehow, Crawford knew this as he took yet another step forward, raising his hand to cup the younger man's face. Ran inhaled sharply at the feel of the smooth and callused skin connecting with his but didn't move away. He wanted this, he knew he did, but he didn't want to be so damn skittish about it!

    Silence reigned under the tree as time seemed to slow down. He still felt the rain landing on him, plastering his hair to his skull with the large drops that would run down his neck and be soaked up by his coat and the slight wind that made the Sakura blossoms swirl around them. He wondered if Nagi was somewhere out there to cause this and blushed at the thought of their former teammates watching them. Still, the wind continued to move them around as time slowed down even more. Crawford's glasses were slipping down his nose again and the large drops fell on him as well. He ignored them for the time being, concentrating on his jumpy companion instead. Ran looked like he would flee any moment, and even if he now knew that wouldn't happen, he wanted to be reassured of the other's trust. His hand moved along the soft skin on its own, silently admiring the strong features as the younger man's eyes drifted shut and he leaned into the caress. No one had ever touched him like this, and even if he was terrified for the sensations it brought he didn't want it to end, ever.

    Words were unnecessary as the American stepped closer, in under the tree and tilted Ran's face upwards, something that caused him to open his eyes again. He was suddenly drunk on more than wine, his head spinning like mad as he looked into the other's eyes. Crawford's hair was plastered to his skull just like Ran's, and that made him seem a lot younger and somehow vulnerable. The redhead decided that he liked that expression as he tilted his head into the caress of the hand still on his cheek.

    Watching Ran blush like this was all the encouragement Crawford needed as he tilted his head to the side and dipped down slowly to catch the younger man's lips with his. A startled gasp was his reward – even if the redhead had spotted his intentions a mile away he was still caught very much off-guard. His hand moved of its own accord to slip out in the wet hair that now held the colour of dried blood to move the smaller man's head in a better position. A hand clutched the front of his suit in a desperate motion as Ran moved closer to him, allowing him better access to the mouth he had wanted to taste for a long time. The other hand was buried in his damp hair, the slender fingers entwining themselves with his black strands just like his own did and he followed the silent demand to lean down more. He still kept the kiss light, just lips brushing against each other, but as Ran gasped again he took the opportunity to delve his tongue into the cavern flavoured by the wine and the spices from their meal, tasting it all. 

    As the first tentative brush of Crawford's tongue connected with his own, a jolt went straight through the redhead, his skin tingling wherever the older man touched him. He became aware of the taste of the other, so unlike his own and still very much the same. The part of him that wasn't drunk from the emotions and the wine supplied him with the knowledge that they'd had the same food and logically, he _should taste the same, not to ment-. Here, he shut the analytical spin down, afraid that 'Aya' would rise again. He didn't want that one back right now – all he wanted to do was to taste, and feel, everything else could wait._

    A moan rose in the back of his throat as he was gently pressed up against the tree behind him, a hand landing on his waist to keep him in place as he was thoroughly kissed for the first time in his life. The hand clutching the suit tightened till the knuckles were white as he shivered. Sparks were flying behind his closed eyelids and another moan was greedily swallowed by the lips pressed against his. All of this sucked him down in an emotional vortex that left him weak and drained as well as fueled his need for more.

    After what seemed like an eternity and still not long enough, Crawford pulled back, breathing harshly as he watched the younger man through half-closed lids heavy with desire. Ran was shivering again and a blush almost the colour of his hair was creeping back up on his face. He met the older man's gaze shyly but without any of the nervousness that had been there earlier and a small smile crept up on Crawford's face. It looked a bit out of place, as did his own, but it was a genuine one and so unlike the smirk he had become accustoumed to during the years of their... acquaintance... that it didn't matter. Crawford might not smile and Ran might not be able to be anyone else than 'Aya', but he was startled to discover that he was willing to give it a chance anyway. In thoughts no longer muddled by logic the inebriated part of him was showing him the solutions to his troubles on a level he never would have achieved sober and he latched onto them for the reassurance he needed.

    The hands moved gently from his waist and hair to his back and pulled him forward. He complied, his burning face burying itself in the crook between Crawford's neck and shoulder as his own hands slipped to once more clutch the white suit to steady himself. They stood there for a little while, neither of them wanted to disturb the peace that reigned under the tree as the rain continued to fall and the fragrance of the crushed petals spread in the air around them.

    "Brad?" Ran's head rose from its place on his shoulder to let him meet the slightly blurry gaze and he was thrown off-guard again. To hear his name with the redhead's deep voice and as serious as ever... He felt himself almost shiver as he continued to meet the violet eyes and the younger man smiled hesitantly. "Brad?" Ran prompted again and he blinked once. 

    "Mmm?" He settled for a noncommital reply while he waited for the redhead to finish. Ran was still smiling shyly at him, a blush spreading slowly over his cheeks.

    "I..." He looked down again, fidgeting a little as he pondered over his next move. He was still sober enough to consider himself drunk and he knew that he was going to ask his requests still. Crawford was watching him, an amused gleam in his mocha-coloured eyes as he waited patiently for Ran to get to the point.

    "Mmmm?" He tried again, hoping that the younger man would take the hint. He was rewarded with another dazzling smile before the redhead tilted his head slightly to the side, violet eyes bright.

    "I want ice cream!" Crawford blinked again at the sudden exclamation. Needless to say, he was stunned. _Ice cream? He did the only thing he could – answering the question with his own._

    "Ice cream? _Now?" His astonished voice made Ran take a step back, a little hurt although he didn't know why. He also felt foolish, like he had said something stupid and the look on Crawford's face confirmed that suspicion. He should break the night off before he said something else that would make him look like an even bigger fool. Had he been sober, he would never had said anything like _that _and mentally cursed the wine and the Sakura tree for influencing him. __Ice cream? What was I thinking?_

    "Never mind, I shouldn't have..." Crawford was still trying to process his line of thought at the request but his arms tightened around the younger man again as the redhead tried to take another step back. _Ice cream?_

    "I..." For the first time in many years, he didn't know what to say. Nothing had warned him for this – no vision, no hunch, no nothing – and if it was one thing he didn't like, it was to be surprised. His Gift had been absent for the whole evening, but he blamed it on the alcohol – it had gone ascrew before when he had been drunk – and the usual reaction to cover up his insecurity had been anger. Anger, however, would get him nowhere with Ran except maybe end up on the redhead's long list of enemies. And over something as simple as _ice cream_?

    Suddenly noticing that those violet eyes were still turned towards him, he tried to smile again, a reassuring smile that would keep the redhead from bolting. The younger man looked suspicious at first, but relaxed back into his arms again and Crawford's hand rose on its own to the red hair, playing with the silky strands as he tried to make his alcohol-fogged brain work again.

    "Ice cream, huh?" He finally asked, a hint of amusement in his voice as Ran nodded again, clearly pleased with the way this was now progressing. _He's too sweet when he's drunk..._

    "Uh-uh..." The younger man nodded empathically again, eyes bright with barely contained laughter and face flushed by the alcohol. It made Crawford give in to the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth and the redhead blushed even more.

    "I guess we could go for that... In a little while..." He was smiling in earnest now, a long-forgotten flutter in his belly as he imagined eating ice cream again with Ran, something he hadn't done in a very long time – since before Estet had acquired him. But with Ran... With Ran it would feel easier to do something like that – with him it would feel _right_. He realized that he was going to let go of a part of himself in favor for the one he had buried deep down inside – but the smiling redhead in his arms would make it worth it, he was sure of it. He didn't need any vision to know how it would end this time and for that he was both grateful and feeling more than a little insecure. He pushed the thought down again and tilted his head to look at the redhead who was studying him with a small frown on his face before shrugging.

    "Thank you..." Ran smiled again as he took a step backwards to lean on the tree with a gleam in his eyes. He cocked his head to the side, studying Crawford intently with his slightly blurry gaze before extending a hand towards the older man, who accepted it without questions. This time, the kiss was slightly more heated, but no less tender. The wine and the Sakura tree had influenced them to somehow treat this as a dream with their slow, deliberate movements, dancing around each other as time froze again...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    Behind some bushes, several pairs of eyes were turned towards the two, watching and listening. One of them belonged to a girl with a satisfied light in her eyes as she watched her brother kiss the one he had referred to as a 'friend' for as long as they had known him – but whom she knew had meant more. 

    "Nagi, get those petals swirling again!" Yohji was standing with a grin on his face as he watched the young telekinetic first frown at him and then reach out with his hand to get the petals moving again in the slight breeze. Omi frowned at him as well, but he ignored them both and turned to his lover instead. The German grinned at him as he let the blond in on the conversation playing between the two former leaders – and the snickers spread as the others picked up on it. As long as Schuldig was around there would never be anything close to 'privacy', but the glare that Aya-chan directed them made him break the connection with a guilty shrug. She wanted her brother to have at least _some_ privacy.

    "Kudoh-san, don't you think that's enough now?" Nagi turned back to the blond as he let the petals continue swirling around the pair under the tree. He was seriously taken aback by the childish display the man he had known as Balinese had thrown – but living and working with Schuldig had dampened the experience a bit. There would be no one better for the German...

    "Uh-uh, chibi... Those two need all the romantic mood enhancers they can get. Continue with the whirlwind!" Nagi sighed, but kept it up still. Yohji met Schuldig's green gaze with his own as he smiled again before turning back to the couple that was now melting into the tree again. If it hadn't been for the nosy German they wouldn't have been out here in the rain – but there had been no way he would miss their former leaders trying to get themselves through the dance that was courtship; this was almost as good as sex, to meddle in the affairs of others – and he was going to continue to pull his strings to get them together. Schuldig had been the one to first notice their mutual attraction and after slipping into first Ran's and later Crawford's head – when the American was asleep, his shields were severely weakened – he had rummaged through their minds and brought it up to the surface for them to discover on their own. He hadn't planted the thoughts there as Yohji first had feared, merely dug them up enough for them to understand on their own at their next meeting.

    After quite some time, Ran and Crawford moved away from the tree, the redhead glancing shyly at the older man as they walked side by side, close enough to be touching, past the place where they were hiding. Just as Schuldig breathed a sigh of relief, a mental knock in his skull had him pause.

    _Schuldig? The mental voice was as cool as ever, and the German grinned guiltily._

_    Ja? _

_    Be glad he didn't see you. And get back home before you all catch a cold – there won't be anyone around to nurse you. _The connection broke, but not before he had heard a faint echo of _'thank you' that made his smirk change to a real smile, one of the rare ones he almost never treated anyone with. Crawford and him went a long way back – from the beginning of his teens to the fall of Estet – and even if those years as lovers were over, he was still fond of the man. They had been friends and co-workers for so long that it was impossible for him not to care – even if he never would admit it to anyone. Besides, he had Yohji now, and _that_ was someone he had no intention of ever giving up. He turned to his lover again, crouching beside the blond as he slipped his arms around the thin body to nuzzle his neck. Yohji turned around, suspicion in his silent gaze before a series of images flickered through the connection that had the blond break out in another grin. This was going to be an interesting night..._

******

**030504** – I've rewritten parts of this one because I discovered another CxR-story with similiar theme and I don't want to be accused of plagiarizing that one. It's almost scary how much this had in common with one of the chapters of that one! I decided to rewrite mine instead as the other one have been swimming around for far longer than mine as far as I can understand and it would be really embarrassing if the other author felt that I've copied off their work... So it ended up with them going for ice cream instead... ;)

I'm also working slowly on the next part in this one – it was supposed to be a Christmas-fic, but I decided to put a few other ones in between to catch up with the _'Odds and Ends'_-timeline first. 

I've also got the beginning of another SxYxA-fic in my head, but I don't know when I'll get around writing it... School's taking up too much time again. *sigh* Thank gods that it's almost over!!! 

Thanks for reading! :)


End file.
